Projects bringing an extra breath of fresh air into sites across Helensburgh and Lomond have been given a welcome cash boost from Argyll and Bute Council.

The money, totalling £13,695, will help seven groups create green and pleasant places for locals and visitors who enjoy parks, gardens and picnic areas.

The top allocation of £3,365 has gone to the James Street Community Garden Association which is transforming a formerly neglected piece of land in Helensburgh into a pleasant area with disabled access where people can enjoy the plants in a calming environment.

Association chairman Sandy Kerr said: “The money will pay for curved benches made from recycled plastic to give people of all ages a pleasant place to sit.

“The site previously had a derelict swing park which had been vandalised. It’s been a real struggle over the past 18 months to make the area safe so that people did not trip over things.

"The council have helped greatly by taking away some big trees and concrete and rubber matting from the ground.

“This new funding is very welcome and the benches will fit in with the garden’s curved theme.”

Meanwhile, Helensburgh Community Council has been given £2,500 to plant shrubs around Colquhoun Square.

Community council convener Norman Muir said: “Argyll and Bute Council agreed to maintain the flower beds but not the shrub beds. The square is the focal point of the town where locals and visitors sit on sunny days.

"We have taken expert advice on the best types of shrubs to plant in five beds, with the accent on colour and attractive appearance.

“We plan to enlist volunteers and crack on with the work with a view to getting it completed by the end of October or in November.”

Helensburgh’s Tree Conservation Trust has been awarded £2,500 to replace 100 dead trees, and the West Rossdhu Residents Group has received £680 to plant and maintain cherry trees.

Rosneath and Clynder Community Council will use its allocation of £2,500 to replace picnic tables and benches with polished concrete units and Rosneath Peninsula Amenity Society has been given £150 to maintain and develop Brownie Park.

Meanwhile, Arrochar and Tarbet Community Development Trust has been awarded £2,000 for its community garden and growing area.

In total, 21 organisations successfully bid for a slice of Argyll and Bute Council’s Sustainable Community Initiatives Fund and £35,000 was paid out for environmental improvements.

Councillor Roddy McCuish, the authority's policy lead for roads and amenity services, said the variety and creativity of the ideas submitted showed there was a wealth of talent and creativity in the communities.

He added: “It’s great that residents are willing to work together to improve their local areas, coming up with projects that will benefit their community now and into the future.

“With our help, people are using their skills, knowledge and experience to enhance their areas for residents, and of course visitors, and this contributes to making Argyll and Bute a great place to live and work in, and visit.

"These projects show that with a small amount of support from the council, groups can do fantastic things to improve their communities.

“There were lots of worthwhile projects that we were unfortunately unable to support because of certain criteria, but we can still offer help and advice to organisations.”

The projects, to be completed by September 2019, will be match-funded and will attract £80,500 from other sources.

The Sustainable Communities Fund was a one-off grant fund £50,000 was available to projects that met the criteria. Forty-eight applications requested £148,000 and £35,297 was paid out.

The remaining funds will be used to improve amenity sites and waste collections.